Sodexo reviews

3.6

68% would recommend to a friend

(6,692 total reviews)
avatar

Sophie Bellon

76% approve of CEO

54% positive business outlook

Sodexo has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 6,692 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Sodexo employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restauration industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

7K reviews
3.0
Mar 29, 2013

could be better

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

flexible working hours, people are great and professional. It is a fantastic worldwide company to work for, with potential for growth

Cons

The salaries are very low and training is poor and the management does not offer support to the staff. The quality of the service is not always up to scratch

1.0
Mar 25, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Sodexo has many properties, and always has opportunities for employment. They are the leader in the leisure/service industry and are progressive in their approach to enhancing customers' dining experiences whether it be in a dining hall, staff cafeteria or public park. Their approach to innovation has given them some great successes and made their business model very profitable in certain areas.

Cons

Sodexo's model is all about profitability above everything else. Many times, key elements such as quality, logic and safety are outweighed by the need to exceed profit margins. If you work for Sodexo, don't expect to be smiling and happy like the folks on the HR brochures. Expect to work 7 day weeks, 12-14 hours a day. Expect to be denied time off for doctor's appointments, home emergencies and more important things like family events like birthdays and weddings. Expect to live at Sodexo and hotel at home. I barely see my family anymore. I haven't taken a vacation in two years. I'm lucky if I get a day off in the middle of the week. Management says things are critical and they can't give us any time off right now. We are woefully understaffed. The work is never done. Also, while Sodexo is an innovative company, they apply a cookie-cutter approach to most of their properties. They are unyielding in the need to acknowledge that no two properties are built alike. Customer bases are different, customer needs are different and thus how you organize your operations is going to differ from place to place. Sodexo has a model they try to force down every organization's pipeline. If they think it takes 12 widgets to run the operation when you know it needs 20, they expect you to make it work with the 12. No exceptions. And don't expect to be given the tools to do your job. I was expected to use my personal cell phone and laptop to do my job. I use my personal vehicle to make inventory pick-ups. I pay out of pocket for inventory and have to wait to be reimbursed. Sodexo is all about keeping those profit margins clean, and the less money, the less resources they have to cough up, the better it is for them. If I had it to do all over again, I would have said no to Sodexo.

4.0
Mar 24, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Plenty of opportunities to hone skills, stay on top of industry trends. Opportunities for advancement are there if you are willing to give 100%. Competitive pay for culinary professionals and managers. There have been several negative reviews on this site, many of them stating that there are few opportunities for advancement within the ranks at Sodexo. However, it has been my experience that if you are willing to be at work, on time, every day, and give 100% of your effort, the opportunities are there. Management does notice and acknowledge employees who take initiative, and show an interest in advancing. Unfortunately, many employees are relatively unskilled and seem content to stay that way as long as they are collecting a paycheck. The fact is, supervisors and managers absolutely want entry and mid level employees to improve their skills and abilities, because in the long run, a better trained staff makes our jobs much easier while greatly improving customer satisfaction. This is definitely not a problem that is exclusive to Sodexo, I am sure that everywhere you find enrty level employees, you will find a few who don't exactly have the work ethic that you would hope for. In short, I have worked at 5 accounts with Sodexo, beginning as an entry level cook, advancing to my current position as Sous Chef in a large, successful account with top notch food and customer service, and I have every intention of continuing along this path. Why? Because I am reliable, dependable, I take my work seriously, and I take the initiative to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you aren't able to progress financially or otherwise within this company, perhaps a self evaluation would help you to find out what you need to do to take the next step.

Cons

Hours can be a little crazy and unpredictable, but the same goes for any position in this field. The health insurance is not the greatest considering the cost for a family plan. Units can sometimes be minimally staffed in the interest of cutting labor costs and overtime.

Viewing 6511 - 6513 of 6,692 Reviews

Glassdoor has 14,769 Sodexo reviews submitted anonymously by Sodexo employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Sodexo is right for you.